Tub grinder with rear discharge hammer mill and angled shear plates

Abstract

A tub grinder for grinding animal feed and the like of the type having a hammer mill extending below a stationary floor about which a tub side wall rotates, incorporates a rear discharge opening formed in a rear side wall of the hammer mill and includes deflector plates extending across an end wall of the grinder for directing material out the discharge opening to the rear of the tub grinder. Shear plates are adjustably secured to an end wall of the hammer mill housing. The shear plates are oriented in overlapping and angled relationship with respect to one another and to prevent ground materials from accumulating on the shear plates particularly when wet. Sickle blades are retractably positioned in the mill side walls for providing additional cutting action. Further, hammer assemblies are modified to include a knife edge and a face plate.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is as follows: 
     
       1. A tub grinder for chopping and grinding material comprising: a. a frame;   b. a stationary floor secured to said frame and having a floor opening extending therethrough;   c. a tub side wall rotatably mounted relative to said floor for rotation thereabout by first rotating means; said floor and said tub side wall forming a tub into which material to be processed is placed;   d. a mill having a mill housing including a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall extending between said first and second side walls and which define a milling chamber; said mill housing secured to said frame and extending below said floor such that said floor opening opens into said milling chamber;   e. a rotor rotatably secured within said mill housing and connected to second rotating means;   f. a plurality of hammer assemblies secured to and rotatable by said rotor for chopping and grinding material in said milling chamber; at least a portion of each of said hammer assemblies extending above said floor along a portion of the path of travel of said hammer assemblies during rotation for cutting and pulling material into said milling chamber;   g. at least one of said side walls of said mill housing having a discharge opening formed therein adjacent a portion of said mill housing end wall; and   h. deflecting means for deflecting material in said milling chamber out said discharge opening.   
     
     
       2. The tub grinder as in claim 1 wherein: a. said deflecting means comprises at least one deflector plate extending at least partially across said mill housing end wall adjacent said discharge opening.   
     
     
       3. The tub grinder as in claim 2 comprising: a. a plurality of said deflector plates secured to said mill housing end wall in spaced apart relation and adjacent to said discharge opening along a portion of said end wall which is coextensive with the upward path of travel of said hammer assemblies; and   b. said deflector plates are secured to said end wall by means for adjusting the distance that the deflector plates extend into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       4. The tub grinder as in claim 1 further comprising: (a) a plurality of shear plates secured to and extending inward from said mill housing end wall; said shear plates extending in alternating and overlapping alignment from proximate said first side wall and said second side wall and angled in the direction of rotation of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       5. The tub grinder as in claim 4 wherein: (a) said shear plates are secured to said end wall by means for adjusting the distance that the shear plates extend into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       6. The tub grinder as in claim 4 wherein: a. each successive shear plate is spaced beyond said previous shear plate in the direction of rotation of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       7. The tub grinder as in claim 4 further comprising: (a) a plurality of sickle blades extending into said milling chamber from at least one of said first and second side walls between said side walls and said hammer assemblies; said sickle blades being oriented along the path of travel of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       8. The tub grinder as in claim 4 wherein: (a) at least one of said hammer assemblies comprises at least one hammer bar mounted to said rotor, a knife blade secured to and extending along one side of said hammer bar such that a distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of said hammer bar, and a spacer secured to said hammer bar and extending beyond a distal end of said hammer bar in spaced relation to said distal end of said knife blade.   
     
     
       9. The tub grinder as in claim 1 further comprising: (a) a plurality of sickle blades extending into said milling chamber from at least one of said first and second side walls between said side walls and said hammer assemblies; said sickle blades being oriented along the path of travel of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       10. The tub grinder as in claim 9 wherein: (a) each of said sickle blades is pivotally mounted to a support bracket on an outer surface of said respective first or second side wall such that a cutting portion of each said sickle blade is pivotally advanceable through a slot in said respective first or second side wall and into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       11. The tub grinder as in claim 10 wherein: (a) said cutting portion of each of said sickle blades is triangular.   
     
     
       12. The tub grinder as in claim 1 wherein: (a) at least one of said hammer assemblies comprises at least one hammer bar mounted to said rotor, a knife blade secured to and extending along one side of said hammer bar such that a distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of said hammer bar, and a spacer secured to said hammer bar and extending beyond a distal end of said hammer bar in spaced relation to said distal end of said knife blade.   
     
     
       13. The tub grinder as disclosed in claim 12 wherein: (a) said hammer assembly comprises at least two hammer bars separated by said spacer such that said spacer extends beyond a distal end of each of said hammer bars; and   (b) said knife blade is secured to one of said hammer bars along one side thereof and said distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of each of said hammer bars.   
     
     
       14. The tub grinder as disclosed in claim 13 further comprising: (a) a face plate secured to a leading face of said hammer bars and having a deflecting portion secured to said hammer bar having said knife secured thereto; said deflecting portion angled toward a leading edge of said knife blade for deflecting material away from said knife blade.   
     
     
       15. An apparatus for chopping and grinding material comprising: a. a material receiving receptacle having a mill opening extending therethrough;   b. a mill having a mill housing including a first side wall, a second side wall and an end wall extending between said first and second side walls and which define a milling chamber; said mill housing secured to and extending below said material receiving receptacle such that said mill opening opens into said milling chamber;   c. a rotor rotatably secured within said mill housing and connected to rotating means for rotating said rotor;   d. a plurality of hammer assemblies secured to and rotatable by said rotor for chopping and grinding material in said milling chamber; at least a portion of each of said hammer assemblies extending into said material receiving receptacle along a portion of the path of travel of said hammer assemblies during rotation for cutting and pulling material into said milling chamber;   e. at least one of said side walls of said mill housing having a discharge opening formed therein adjacent a portion of said mill housing end wall; and   f. deflecting means for deflecting material in said milling chamber out said discharge opening.   
     
     
       16. The apparatus as in claim 15 wherein: a. said deflecting means comprises at least one deflector plate extending at least partially across said mill housing end wall adjacent said discharge opening.   
     
     
       17. The apparatus as in claim 16 comprising: a. a plurality of said deflector plates secured to said mill housing end wall in spaced apart relation and adjacent to said discharge opening; and   b. said deflector plates are secured to said end wall by means for adjusting the distance that said deflector plates extend into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       18. The apparatus as in claim 15 further comprising: (a) a plurality of shear plates secured to and extending inward from said mill housing end wall; said shear plates extending in alternating and overlapping alignment from proximate said first side wall and said second side wall and angled in the direction of rotation of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       19. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein: (a) said shear plates are secured to said end wall by means for adjusting the distance that the shear plates extend into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       20. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein: (a) each successive shear plate is spaced beyond said previous shear plate in the direction of rotation of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       21. The apparatus as in claim 18 further comprising: (a) a plurality of sickle blades extending into said milling chamber from at least one of said first and second side walls between said side walls and said hammer assemblies; said sickle blades being oriented along the path of travel of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       22. The apparatus as in claim 18 wherein: (a) at least one of said hammer assemblies comprises at least one hammer bar mounted to said rotor, a knife blade secured to and extending along one side of said hammer bar such that a distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of said hammer bar, and a spacer secured to said hammer bar and extending beyond a distal end of said hammer bar in spaced relation to said distal end of said knife blade.   
     
     
       23. The apparatus as in claim 15 further comprising: (a) a plurality of sickle blades extending into said milling chamber from at least one of said first and second side walls between said side walls and said hammer assemblies; said sickle blades being oriented along the path of travel of said hammer assemblies.   
     
     
       24. The apparatus as in claim 23 wherein: (a) each of said sickle blades is pivotally mounted to a support bracket on an outer surface of said respective first or second side wall such that a cutting portion of each said sickle blade is pivotally advanceable through a slot in said respective first or second side wall and into said milling chamber.   
     
     
       25. The apparatus as in claim 24 wherein: (a) said cutting portion of each of said sickle blades is triangular.   
     
     
       26. The apparatus as in claim 15 wherein: (a) at least one of said hammer assemblies comprises at least one hammer bar mounted to said rotor, a knife blade secured to and extending along one side of said hammer bar such that a distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of said hammer bar, and a spacer secured to said hammer bar and extending beyond a distal end of said hammer bar in spaced relation to said distal end of said knife blade.   
     
     
       27. The apparatus as in claim 26 wherein: (a) said hammer assembly comprises at least two hammer bars separated by said spacer such that said spacer extends beyond a distal end of each of said hammer bars; and   (b) said knife blade is secured to one of said hammer bars along one side thereof and said distal end of said knife blade extends beyond a distal end of each of said hammer bars.   
     
     
       28. The apparatus as in claim 27 further comprising: (a) a face plate secured to a leading face of said hammer bars and having a deflecting portion secured to said hammer bar having said knife secured thereto; said deflecting portion angled toward a leading edge of said knife blade for deflecting material away from said knife blade.